We are incapable of understanding the suffering of a society, its cry, and the future of an entire nation that has been kidnapped by us.

Our hearts are in pain over those three teenage boys whose identities we did not even know a moment ago, but who now belong to all of us. Each of them looks like my own son, the son of every one of my friends and their friends.

Thank you R. Michael Lerner for being a true Teacher. Would that your
wise thoughts could make a difference in the hearts of enemies. Would
that minds could, like the sapling, bend, to grow.We must all do what we
can to respect the other. while looking after our own.

The continued use of the argument that the occupation and settlers are
responsible for terrorism belies belief. If Hamas could kidnap those
living inside the green line, it would. And if Israel gave the
Palestinians every inch of the West Bank, the terrorists would still
attack the tiny Jewish state that would be left. Israel disengaged from
Gaza, leaving the Palestinians areas of industrial infrastructure, a
chance to show the world that they could implement self-government. But
as Israel searches for the kidnapped boys, it is defending itself from
rocket attacks emanating from Gaza. The situation is so much more
complex than a simple "blame it on the occupation" stance. The
causes are deeper and longer standing than Israel's presence in the West
Bank (plenty of terror attacks before 1967), including the structure of
Palestinian society, their manipulation by the wider Arab world and
their entrenched victimhood reinforced by the International community.
Readers should not be taken in by this artistically written polemic
which portrays a fraction of the story.

Google early terrorism (before 1948) by immigrants against the
indigenes. Specifically, the Stern Gang, Hagana, and Irgun. Like 450
native villages destroyed, the villagers slaughtered or disaporized, the
bombing of the King David Hotel, killing 99 people, the murder of Count
Bernadotte, who saved 30,000 Jewish lives, That takes us to about the
early 50s. Again, quit trying to play victim, The victim is the one who
is occupied. The aggressor is the occupier. The aggressor is always the
one who is OUTSIDE of her borders. That is the law. Period.

The mess that Israel left in Gaza, similar to the mess it left in
Lebanon and to the mess left by the US in Iraq, created a power vacuum
that rewarded extremists to the detrement of the moderate pragmatists
and long term peace. The pretence that Israel gave the Palestinians an
opportunity to practice self-government was betrayed by the fact that
Israel arrested the majority of the elected Gazan politicians shortly
after withdrawing. BTW the occupation didn't start in 1967, the Israeli
state confiscated land from its first day and even before.

My respect to Avrum Burg, who again succeeds in hitting the right nail
on the head. At a time when the freedom of expression is at it's most
sensitive, he brings us a sensible, intelligent and humane view of this
so complicated situation. I wish there were few like him in Israel's
leadership, thinking deep and ahead, but alas, they continue spewing
their irrelevant power and messianic blabber, so transparent to the world!

peace in exchange for the Green Line border. That offer has been on the
table for 15 years. Benny Miliekowsky has been ignoring it for 15 years
What peace proposal has Israel made? What is her counter proposal? What
is Israel's better idea? And, where are her proposed maps. The Arabs
(all states) maps are on the table. Again, do not try to promote that
crap. No one is buying from the hasbara store, anymore

It is rare that one article can cause me to stop reading a newspaper.
This piece, as well as the second-rate, non-edited or reviewed articles
constantly online (yesterday they had the wrong article heading for
hours - which made no sense) shows how ridiculous this newspaper is.
Goodbye Haaretz.

I guess you can't please everybody, Shuli. To me, Burg's words are a
beautiful expression of intellectual honesty, moral clarity, fairness
and decency. Shuli, my my hope is that you will continue to read
Haaretz until your fear of facing hard truths subsides and you can
experience the relief and joy that honesty and compassion bring. Then
you will be a Baal Teshuvah, saved from the unthinking, unfeeling kitch
of modern Jewish nationalist dogma and returned to the fold of our
great, compassionate,justice seeking and truth- searching tradition.

Mr. Burg,s "logic" is completely illogical., and the article
is full of half truths and lies. To equate the kidnapping in anyway with
people who in the majority have been tried in courts and sentenced is a
crime in itself.

that depends on convicting people by confessions under duress of torture
is hardly fair. What about the "administrative" detainees ,
never charged or convicted of any crimes yet languish in Israeli
dungeons?.Not to mention the jailed " minors".

by returning the Arabs in Israel to the Arab countries surrounding
Israel. Specifically the countries that returned their Jewish population
to the Jewish state. Don;t forget that this land has been Israel for
thousands of years and that the Jews we violently thrown out, and the
land was occupied by the Arabs. The Jews never gave up their ownership
of the land. The truth is that the ignorant left, just like in America,
believes that kind gestures will bring about peace. The fact is, the
"kidnapped" people you speak of want the whole land, nothing
else will do, and any gestures are seen as weakness. Your foolishness is
amazingly naive.

left you a plot of earth that he legally bought from a legal owner
BEFORE the occupation (land cannot be transferred during an occupation),
you have no "ownership: of even a grain of sand, outside of
Israel's legal borders. The Europeans who are outside of Israeli proper
ARE the aggressors. That's the law.

Extreme bigotry/racism blinded the Germans, the British & the
Americans, Israel is no different, except that Israel is a tiny country
that is economically, diplomatically and militarily protected by a
superpower to pursue its nationalist agenda.

like this is so sorely needed. An act of mercy - as an example - is so
sorely needed. The release of all detainees under administrative
detention could be what will result in the release of these three young
men who are indeed the reflection of an entire society in denial.

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